Mats Wilander and recreational tennis

[jeffreycounts]

Huh??

I have heard Wilander say this before, but when I saw this video, my immediate response was "Huh??"

He starts out by saying the biggest problem with club level players (and competitve juniors) is that they watch what the pros are doing and shouldn't. And then he goes on to give example after example of what the pros are doing that amateurs aren't and that's why amateurs aren't as effective!!

For the serve and backhand he says the problem club players have is that they aren't doing the things Federer is. Huh? Federer brings both hands up, so should you. Federer keeps his left arm back on the backhand, so should you. So don't copy the pros, but do what Federer is doing. Makes a lot of sense.

On the backhand he says something crazy about how there is no leverage on that stroke. Huh?? Straight arm with contact point well in front of the body and this isn't leverage?

He then concludes with the volley and says that pros turn their shoulders and club players don't and pro players have the right grip and club players don't???

I love Mat's game, but his argument is just silly. Don't start of all high and mighty saying club players are silly for trying to learn from pro technique and then give example after example after example of how club players should do things that Federer and other pros are doing. Maddening!

[jbill]

I totally agree with JeffreyCounts. Matts just totally contradicts himself all the way through this little demonstration video clip: don't try to do what the pros do, but look at Roger Federer as your model. The pros have the right grip for volleying, but the amateur doesn't. Contradiction? Of course the amateur can learn from the pros.

With respect to hitting the open stance forehand. Matts never mentions anything about grip. The grip shapes the forehand stroke and has a lot to do with the stance. Why did Bjorn Borg hit with so much open stance? The more western the grip, the more natural it is to hit with some form of open stance. Yes, the amateur will have to coil, turn his/her shoulders and stretch the non-hitting arm across the body, but really how hard is that?

There's a great article on Tennisplayer.net, "What is Open Stance?", by Kerry Mitchell for anyone interested in learning more about how it was that open stance hitting evolved and why it is so common in today's modern tennis game.

And yeah, the music that goes with the Matts' video is bizarre if not a little distracting.

[DougEng]

Good Points

I have heard Wilander say this before, but when I saw this video, my immediate response was "Huh??"

He starts out by saying the biggest problem with club level players (and competitve juniors) is that they watch what the pros are doing and shouldn't. And then he goes on to give example after example of what the pros are doing that amateurs aren't and that's why amateurs aren't as effective!!

For the serve and backhand he says the problem club players have is that they aren't doing the things Federer is. Huh? Federer brings both hands up, so should you. Federer keeps his left arm back on the backhand, so should you. So don't copy the pros, but do what Federer is doing. Makes a lot of sense.

On the backhand he says something crazy about how there is no leverage on that stroke. Huh?? Straight arm with contact point well in front of the body and this isn't leverage?

He then concludes with the volley and says that pros turn their shoulders and club players don't and pro players have the right grip and club players don't???

I love Mat's game, but his argument is just silly. Don't start of all high and mighty saying club players are silly for trying to learn from pro technique and then give example after example after example of how club players should do things that Federer and other pros are doing. Maddening!

Good Points, Jeff.
Yes, I don't agree with Mats either. He right on a couple things but not quite on others.

[DougEng]

When Fed releases the ball, his tossing hand is at about forehead height. His racket hand is about chest height. It's a small stagger, but a stagger nonetheless.

I define classical as when releasing the ball, the racquet arm is at typically 8 or 9 o'clock looking chest-side of a right-handed player. (Release arm is typically at 2 o'clock). Staggered is when the arm is 6 or 7 o'clock. Therefore, Federer would be defined as classical.

The wrist is a different component and would add more complex variations to classifications of rhythm. Sometimes at release, the wrist is more flexed (in which case the racquet head is lower than the arm) and sometimes in a neutral position. Regardless the wrist will go from a flexed position to a extended position to flexed during the entire service motion.


Doug

[stotty]

"Too many players on all levels are unrealistic about their own games" - Pancho Gonzales

That's as true today as it was back then.

[don_budge]

Mats and the slip of the tongue...

I have heard Wilander say this before, but when I saw this video, my immediate response was "Huh??"

Maddening!

He does have a knack for the obtuse comment now and then. Recently he was quoted as saying the Swedish tennis program is on the skids because of the children's tendency to be overweight and lazy. That comment got the parents up off of their fat and lazy behinds and created a tempest.

He also made some comments about the socialistic aspect of the system over here as if that was breeding some kind of complacency as well.

The reality of things are a combination of factors...and he may of touched on the truth a bit. More realistically though...here in Sweden there are zero public courts. I am not certain if this is the case in all of Europe but all tennis activity is done on a club level. You know what that means...you pay to play. It gets to be expensive in todays economy. Plus the biggest killer is that it is difficult to get the community involved if it is being done on a private level. The general lack of logistical coordination of the tennis system is maddening. It is not hard to understand why there are no Swedes in the top hundreds these days. The system of competitions outside of a few traditionally tennis oriented areas is really lacking. I happen to work in one of these vortexes...or rather vacuums.

Traditionally the sport of choice is football...and in my neck of the woods a game called "handball", which appears to be a combination of several sports but it is totally unappealing to my sports eye. As a transplanted American it is hard for me to understand the fascination. But then again I think that American football is one of the stupidest games ever played and look how popular that is in the Land of the Free. Tennis had a brief heyday here in Sweden as it capitalized on the success and fame of Björn Borg. Swede's need that role model to get a ripple effect in interest...another thing that I don't completely understand about the culture.

Mats has a pretty good tennis mind. His commentary on EuroSport television ranges from flimsy entertainment to astute and insightful. He is a bit of a character and it shows in some of his over the top comments. I remember that he once said in a video interview with John that a possible tactic to playing the then "Meteoric" Djokovic was to hit balls into the stands. Slightly to the left of center...Mats! That being said I would dearly love to engage in a conversation with Mats about the state of recreational tennis here in Sweden. At least he is not afraid to rock the boat like the rest of the crew here.

[GeoffWilliams]

Swedes are the best looking players.

[tennislearningforlife]

This is great thread

I believe this is a great thread. I watched video immediately. And was interesting to hear what he said. I sort of wish he went more deep into how would he actually teach starter players.

Yes pro players have just tremendous power. I mean they are just monstrous.